Furniture leg shoe



' R. E. MILLER June 27, 1950 FURNITURE LEG SHOE Filed April 10, 1948 7 Z a a g 5 6 4 m 5 Willi; b. w I a Z a f A a z a .W g y IN VEN TOR. ,fw gzrtf/flalsz mm u .4- 4770/?5/ Patented June 2?, 195% UNITED STATES iddfiiENT OFFICE FURNITURE LEG SHGE Robert Ellis Miller, Bronxville, N. application April 19, 194.8, Serial No. 20,339

3 Claims. 1

lhis invention relates generally to glides for furniture legs and more particularly to the means for securing such devices to the hollow, tubular ends of furniture legs.

A general object of this invention is to provide an arrangement for securing a ground engaging glider to a hollow, tubular end of a furniture leg which is simple in construction, inexpensive to produce and is readily engageable and disengageable therefrom.

Another object of this inyention is to provide a device of the character indicated which is susceptible of large scale production and makes use of standard parts and permits convenient assembly, said device being simple to operate and requiring a minimum of manipulation when placed in use.

A further object of this invention is to provide a ground engaging device in the nature of a glide with efficient means for securing the same within a hollow or tubular end of a furniture leg.

I Will here premise that one aspect of my invention revolves about the use of a resilient deformable element of a suitable configuration to be received within the hollow end of furniture leg and of means whereby said deformable element can be subjected to compression along its longitudinal axis to increase its dimensions transversely to an extent to cause the perimetrical, surface of the deformable element to engage the inner surface of the hollow terminal of the furniture leg and more particularly that the resili'ently deformable element and the perimetrical edge of that end surface to which the pressure is to be applied be continuous and unslotted. I will further premise that the means for applyin the pressure to an end face of said resiliently deformable element be a hollow conical shell to. which pressure is applied by the advance of, a member received therein.

Among the more important provisions for the attainment of the general objects of my invention are these: the combination of a deformable element of suitable "configuration to be received with the hollow end of the chair leg with means for applying pressure thereto in a direct--011 longitudinally of the chair leg to cause the deformable element to assume an increased width, the deformable element being so dimensioned that it will engage the inner wall of the hollow fur niture leg with increasing frictional engagement with the increase of the deformation pressure.

Other and further objects of this invention will beapparent from a consideration of the accomof the resilient element showing the tubular member in conjunction with which the device is to be used by broken lines.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the device showing the initial configuration of the resilient element as it appears upon being seated in the tubular member.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of the device secured within the tubular member.

Fig. 4 is a plan viewof the device showing the tubular member in cross-section.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the frustro-conical shell.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a modifiedform of the frustro-c'onical shell.

The device is comprised of a ground engaging assembly it in the nature of a glide. The assembly consists of a base plate lil'which may be of metal or other suitable material for engagement with the surface of the material upon which it is to rest. Base plate I! is suitably secured to a pad of resilient material 12 as by crimping. 'Secured withinand forming part of said ground engaging assembly IE in such manner as to be rotated therewith, is shank I 3, which is provided with a threaded portion 23 at its free end. Resting in contact with pad l 2 is abutment member M in the nature of a bearing washer which is provided with an enlarged central perforation permitting the free rotation of shank l3 therein. Some of the purposes of said abutment member or washer being to reduce the friction between the pad andthe tubular member supported thereby and to provide means for distributing the stress thereof evenly upon the surface of said pad. What has been described is ground engaging assembly provided with a shank having a threaded end and with a bearing washer. It will be observed that the diameter of the washer is greater" than the interior of the furniture leg.

My invention contemplates that the assembly be secured to the interior surface of a tubular member which may be a hollow furniture leg 25 or the like by means of the frictional engagement of the peripheral surface of resilient element 18 with the interior surface thereof. The resiliently deformable element may be of a gen-- eral cross-section conforming to the cross-sec tion of the interior of said hollow member and may be advantageously formed of a resilient material such as rubber. Resting immediately upon abutment member I6 is base [6 of shell I5. The shell is provided with neck I! having an opening therein which is of larger diameter than the axial opening l9 provided in resilient element [8. Said neck abuts upon the surface of the end face 28 of resilient element 18. As indicated, resilient element I8 is provided with axial opening IQ of sufficient diameter to permit the rotation of shank l3 therein.

In contact with the upper end face 29 of element I8 is neck 2| of opposed shell 2!). As in the case of shell l the diameter of the opening in neck 2| is larger than the diameter of axial opening IS in resilient element I8. Neck 2! of shell 20 abuts upon the surface of the end face 29 of the deformable element. Resting in frictional contact with the base portion 22 of opposed shell 20 is nut 24 which is in threaded engagement with threaded end portion 23 of shank l4 as more clearly appears in Fig. 4. As illustrated herein a frustro-conical shell as shown in Fig. 5 may be advantageously utilized, a modified form thereof being shown in Fig. 6 wherein the shell is provided with a non-circular base portion 30 thus being adapted for more positive engagement of said base portion with nut 24.

The operation of the device will now be described, particularly in circumstances in which the device is to be secured within a hollow or tubular member of circular cross-section although it will be understood that the device may be similarly utilized with members of differing cross-sections.

The device is shown in cross section in Fig. 1 in its normal state prior to use. In this condition the diameter of the resilient element It! may be somewhat smaller than the inside diameter of the hollow member 26 shown by broken lines. In order to provide adequate friction for the securing operation upon insertion of the device into tubular member 26 as shown in Fig. 2 it is necessary to initiate the radial expansion of deformable element l8. This may be accomplished while the device is external of the tubular member by the rotation of shank 13 within nut 24 by means of ground engaging assembly l0. As a result of such rotation the ends of resiliently deformable element 18 are compressed near the periphery of axial opening [9 by means of neck portions l1 and 2! of shells I5 and 25 respectively. The resulting deformation of element l8 causes the peripheral diameter of ends 28 and 29 to become somewhat reduced as indicated in Fig. 2 and simultaneously causes a radial expansion of said element between the ends thereof. -As shownat 21 maximum radial expansion will appear near the central portion of the element. After a. suitable deformation has been provided through rotation of shank l3 within nut 24 the device is ready for insertion into tubular element 26.

It will be noted that as a result of the character of the deformation for which provision is made herein the resilient element 1 8 of the device is capable of providing a suitable diameter to facilitate the initial insertion of its upper end 29 into the tubular member. The diameter of said member increases gradually upon further insertion so as to provide increasing frictional engagement of its periphery with the interior surface of the tubular member without the need for manipulation or the application of an appreciable pressure in order to complete the insertion thereof. Sufficient friction is thus available between the interior surface of the tubular member 26 and the peripheral surface of resilient element It so as to prevent the rotation of said element in conjunction with the rotation of shank l3 during the securing process. As a result of the compression of element I8 the friction between neck portion 2| of shell 20 against the upper end surface 29 of said element is increased as is the friction between the base portion 22 of said shell and nut 24 in contact therewith so that these elements are also held stationary against continued rotation of shank l3 in threaded engagement with nut 24.

After the insertion of said element into said tubular member the rotation of the portion of the ground engaging assembly I ll, is continued. Since nut 24 is held stationary against the rotation of shank l3 in threaded engagement therewith, element I8 is additionally compressed as shown in Fig. 3. As a result of this additional compression, the extent and area of the frictional contact of the interior surface of member 25; and of the peripheral surface of resilient element [8 is considerably increased, thus securing the device against withdrawal or displacement while in use and providing an efiicient support for the tubular element and the structure with which said element may be associated.

I have here shown and described preferred embodiments of my invention. It will be apparent, however, that this invention is not limited to these embodiments and that many changes, additions and modifications can be made in connection therewith without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a furniture support for insertion. in a tubular leg, a floor engaging unit having an upper surface of larger dimension than the opening in the leg for clamping in abutment with the lower end edges of said leg, a threaded stud extendin upwardly from said unit and rotatable therewith, said stud being adapted to be inserted centrally into said tubular leg, a pair of oppositely directed frustro-conical shells with a resilient plug engaged between them, floatingly carried on said stud, the base of the lowermost shell resting on said unit upper surface, said resilient plug having in its relaxed condition a cylindrical bore for receipt therethrough of the stud and an external dimension somewhat smaller than the bore of said tubular leg, each of said shells being comprised entirely of a conical wall which includes both its upper and lower free edges as well as all parts between, the apices of said frustro-conical shells being of a dimension slightly greater than the diameter of said bore in the plug and their bases being of such dimension as to overlie the major portion of said external dimension of the resilient plug, and a nut threaded on the upper end of the stud and re-- ceived within the base of the uppermost shell whereby rotation of the said floor engaging unit to advance the stud will cause the plug to be compressed axially of its bore by oppositely directed forces concentrated along the circular lines of contact of said shell apices with the plug and expand the plug centrally between the said shells and transverse of its bore, thus facilitating insertion of the plug into said tubular leg so that the central expanded portion of the plug will frictionally engage the walls of the leg, the rotation of said nut being prevented by friction of the plug against the uppermost shell and the shell against the nut, as the stud is further advanced to increase the axial compression and outward central expansion of the resilient plug for firmly securing the support within the leg.

2. A furniture support as described in claim 1 wherein said resilient plug exceeds in height the combined heights of the two frustro-conical shells by only a relatively small amount whereby said frictional securement of the plug to the tubular leg is enhanced by the compression of the plug into a pair of frustro cones disposed transversely to the shells through which the compression is being applied.

3. In a furniture support for insertion in a tubular leg, a floor engaging unit having an upper surface of larger dimension than the opening in the leg for clamping in abutment with the lower end edges of said leg, a threaded stud- 6 members having a circular plug engaging edge at one end which is larger in dimension than the bore of the plug the oposite ends of said members engaging the nut and said upper surface of the floor engaging unit respectively, whereby rotation of the floor engaging unit to advance the stud in said nutYapplies opposed compressive forces to the plug through said elongated members, concentrated along the said circular plug engaging edges to bulge the plug transversely of its bore and centrally thereof between said elongated members.

ROBERT ELLIS- MILLER.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,922,099 Kilian Aug. 15, 1933 1,927,271 Noelting et a1. Sept. 19, 1933 2,155,827 Herold Apr. 25, 1939 2,155,829 Herold Apr. 25, 1939 2,238,705 Miller Apr. 15, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,619 Great Britain of 1905 

